Winter storm to welcome in the New Year for Montreal

Freezing Rain Warning: Montreal, Sherbrooke, Cornwall, Ottawa

Winter Storm Warning: Quebec City

Winter Weather Advisory: Northern New York & Vermont

The calm before the storm: A beautiful morning along the shores of the St. Lawrence River at Pointe-du-Moulin on Ile Perrot. (Valley Weather Photo)

The storm track has become a little more clear this morning, allowing Environment Canada to post a freezing rain warning for Montreal, Cornwall and the Ottawa Valley. Further north and east of the city, precipitation will fall as snow, with a winter storm warning in effect in those locations, including the Laurentians and Quebec City.

Low pressure will move form the Mississippi Valley into the St. Lawrence Valley tonight, and race eastward into Maine on New Year's Day. Expect snow to begin after 10pm this evening, changing to freezing rain in Montreal by midnight, and eventually rain during the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Rain will be the dominant precipitation type south of Montreal, however 5cm of snow is expected here in Montreal, with 5 to 10cm in Ottawa. Additionally, between 5 and 10mm of freezing rain is forecast on top of the snow for Montreal before warmer air arrives and changes the precipitation over to plain rain.

North of Montreal and into Quebec City, 15 to 25cm of snow is forecast. Strong winds will accompany the storm, gusting over 50km/h, producing blowing snow north and east of metro Montreal. Travel will become very poor late this evening and overnight, with snow covered, icy roads and reduced visibility. Conditions will improve rapidly behind the storm on Tuesday, along with colder air changing any leftover precipitation to light snow before ending. Temperatures will warm to 1C (33F) in Montreal by early Tuesday morning, before dropping rapidly behind the system. The low by Wednesday morning will be a chilly -18C (0F).

Have a safe and Happy New Year!